Indicating device for indicating the level of liquid in containers



March 21, 1939. 2,151,579 INDTCATING DEVICE FOR INDICA'IING T l-{F1 LFTVEL QF LIQUID TN CONTAINERS L. B. BACON Filed Aug. 15, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 B. BACON 2,151,579 INDICATING DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE LEVEL OF LIQUID IN CONTAINERS March 21, 1939.

1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15,

L. B. BACON INDICATING DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE LEVEL OF LIQUID IN CONTAINERS Filed Aug 15, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 BEE-n-AAAAAAAA.

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES INDICATING DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE LEVEL OF LIQUID IN CONTAINERS Leonard Bernard Bacon, East Brunswick, Victoria, Australia Application August 15, 1936, Serial No. 96,297 In Australia August 26, 1935 1 Claim. (Cl. 116-129) This invention relates to improvements in and relating to an indicating device for indicating the levelof liquid in acontainerandhas for its object toprovide a cheap, efficient and simple device for the purpose of recording accurately the quantity of liquid remaining in or removed from a liquid container at any given time.

A further object of the invention is to'considerably decrease the friction error "experienced in gauges used for this purpose.

"Broadly the invention is comprised of a rotary member mounted on roller bearingswhich is actuated to rotate by the fall or rise 'of a float on the liquid surface. The invention also includes a rotary indicating drum which is actuated by the rotary member. Y The longitudinal cylindrical exterior surface of the drum is provided with spirally arranged indicating media thereon, which, in association with index means movable longitudinally and exteriorly of the drum surface, provide visible readings of the liquid level in the tank. I move the index means longitudinally of the drum surface by using a rotary quick pitch screw which is driven from the rotary member through a simple chain of gears.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the indicating means enclosed in casings therefor and of part of a float.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the spirally calibrated drum and rotary screw adjacent to it.

Fig. 3 is a plan view in part section of the indicating means.

Fig. 4 is a part sectional elevation of means to actuate the rotary member.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the same parts as in Fig. 4 but from another direction.

Fig. 6 is another view in part section of the means to actuate the rotary member and includes an illustration of a float.

Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are section views of a universal joint.

Fig. 9 is a diagram of a chain of gears.

Fig. 10 is a broken view of a quick pitch screw and a quick pitch nut with a pointer extending therefrom.

A light hollow cylindrical drum I iscarried on a shaft 2 supported by wheel bearings 3. On the shaft 2 is a pinion 4 which meshes with an intermediate toothed wheel 5 between it and a pinion 6 formed on the shaft I of a quick release screw 8 rotatable in a housing 9 of which one face (that toward the drum I) is open. A quick pitch nut I0 engages in the thread of the screw 8 and is moved longitudinally by the rotation thereof. From the nut I0 a pointer II projects through the open face of the housing 9 above the drum I which said housing is fixed between a plate I2 and a fiat bar I3 disposed substantially parallel to the diagonal of the said plate I2 and held oii set therefrom by the housing 9 and a bolt I3. On the bar I3 and centrally thereof one of the wheel bearings 3 for the shaft 2 is mounted, which shaft 2 projects beyond the plate I2 through an orifice I5 and is jointed through a universal joint I6 to a shaft I'I which carries a threaded pulley I3 housed in a casing l9 situated in a length of piping lea in such a manner as to allow a rod such as a dip tube to pass through the said piping. The casing I9 has a removable lid 919 to enable access to the pulley it if such should be necessary. The casing I9 is held in position by a tube 2| extending rearwardly from the casing it through an orifice in the piping Iila or in the dip tube itself if desired, the said piping being open at both ends. The said length of piping Illa is threaded at top and bottom to enable a cap to be screwed on the top if desired and to enable it to be coupled to the dip tube of a tank at the bottom. In

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the reference numeral Ida. may

apply to a length of piping or to the dip tube of a tank.

The tube 2I also passes through a distance piece 22 affixed to the plate I2 and receives a nut I2b at the rear of the plate I2. The tube 2| houses the universal joint I6 by which the pulley shaft I! and drum shaft 2 are joined together and made to rotate in unison. Wheel bearings 23 support the shaft IT. From the bottom of the casing I9 extend two tubes or housings 24 and 25 one (24) of which houses a counterweight 26 and the other (25) of which houses a trolley 21 running therein on a set of wheels 21a the weight and the trolley being joined by a wire or rope 28 which is threaded for one or more turns over the pulley I8. From the trolley an arm 28 extends and on the end of this arm is pivotally mounted a float 29 a pin or stop 29a limiting the downward travel of the trolley 21.

The drum I is housed in a casing 33 in which is a window 34 which enables the pointer II to be seen therethrough. On the window 34 a line 35 is marked and the pointer I I is in such position that the end thereof is vertically below this line.

To install the device the float 29 is placed in the tank. The wire 20 being turned over the pulley I8 the counterweight 26 depends on the other side. The tube 2| from the pulley housing or casing I9 is passed through a hole in the piping or dip tube l9a through the distance piece 22 and the plate [2 which forms one wall of the housing 33 and the nut no is screwed onto a threaded portion of the external periphery of the tube 2|.

The universal joint by means of which the drum shaft 2 is jointed to the pulley shaft I1 is comprised of a member 36 disposed loosely inside the tube 2| which said tube is provided with a flange or shoulder 31 at the end opening into the casing IS. The member 36 is bifurcated at both ends, one bifurcation 38 running at right angles to the other bifurcation 39. Movement of the member 36 towards the pulley housing is limited by the flange or shoulder 31. The shafts 2 and I! which extend respectively beyond the plate I2 and the internal wall of the casing 19 have cross heads ll and 42 formed on the ends thereof and these heads fit into the bifurcations 38 and 39 respectively. Thus the rotary movement of one shaft is transferred to the other shaft per media the member 36 rotating in the tube 2|.

The apparatus being in position with the float horizontally floating on the liquid any change in the level of that liquid causes the float to rise or fall according to the nature of the change of level. Assuming the change to be a fall of level then the float will fall and carry with it the wire 20 which being threaded on the pulley indirectly causes the rotation of the drum shaft 2 and consequently the revolution of the drum I in the manner above described and also, the rotation of the shaft 2 on which the pinion 4 is mounted causes the rotation of the pinion 6 through the intermediate wheel 5. The pinion 6 being carried by the shaft 1 of the quick pitch screw 8 that screw turns and causes the quick pitch nut 10, which carries the pointer II, to move longitudinally along the thread thereof. Thus the drum l revolves and the pointer moves longitudinally over its surface.

Now the drum I is calibrated along a spiral line on its surface and the speed of revolution of the drum and the pitch of the screw are such that the pointer follows this line. Naturally the drum must be calibrated for each container in which the apparatus is used but once this calibration is effected the pointer will indicate the measure of the liquid in the said container the reading being the number appearing on the drum beneath the tip of the pointer when that tip is in alignment with the line 35 on. the glass window 34 and the eye of the observer.

I claim:

In combination, a support, a rotary indicating drum, a length of piping and a casing removably mounted therein, a rotary drum actuating member mounted in the casing, means for mounting the casing in the piping including a tubular housing secured thereto and extending therefrom through an opening provided in the piping for attachment to said support, and means for releasably operatively associating said rotary drum and said actuating member including shafts extending from said drum and actuating member into said tubular housing, each of said shafts having cross heads mounted on the end thereof disposed at right angles to each other, and a connecting block disposed in said tubular housing between the ends of said shafts having complementary bifurcated ends for receiving said cross heads therein whereby rotary motion is imparted to said rotary indicating drum.

LEONARD BERNARD BACON. 

